The move is the latest Unilever win for Bartle Bogle, as it continues to expand its grasp on the package-goods giant's business, following on the coattails of its work for the successful 2002 U.S. launch of Axe body spray. The shop in late 2003 picked up All detergent in the U.S. and is a contender for the global Omo/Sunlight/Wisk brand.

Unilever could not immediately be reached for comment; a spokeswoman for Bartle Bogle referred calls to Unilever.

New York lead office
The agency's New York office will head up the account, as Vaseline’s strength remains predominantly in North America.

The shift, made without a review, comes only a year after Unilever moved the brand to JWT from Interpublic Group of Cos.’ McCann Erickson Worldwide, New York. WPP Group’s MindShare, New York, continues to handle global communications planning and media buying.

JWT handled the restage earlier this year of Vaseline hand and body lotion, which despite getting more attention in marketing and product mix than it has in years has yet to gain traction. Amid a major launch of Procter & Gamble Co.’s Olay Quench, and a new entry from Unilever’s own Dove as a body lotion, Vaseline still dropped 1.6 share points to 8.8% of the $786 million hand and body lotion category for the 52 weeks ended Sept. 4, according to Information Resources Inc.

Share slips
With nearly a 6% share since its launch, Quench is already close to eclipsing Vaseline in its first year. Vaseline’s core petroleum jelly brand also slipped 1.8 share points to 58.9% of the $42.5 million category.

Unilever is currently preparing to hear pitches for its global Omo/Sunlight/Wisk detergent brand in which Bartle Bogle is also a contender, along with JWT and Interpublic's Lowe, both of which are incumbents in parts of the world.

Most Popular

Jack Neff

Jack Neff, editor at large, covers household and personal-care marketers, Walmart and market research. He's based near Cincinnati and has previously written for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Bloomberg, and trade publications covering the food, woodworking and graphic design industries and worked in corporate communications for the E.W. Scripps Co.